Around midnight until 2am today, I had a very big adventure of trying to catch my breath. I was short of it; That feeling when I breathe in deep and then suddenly something stops me from continuing half-way. Then breath after breath, it was getting more and more shallow. I started wheezing. My nose started to clog. My eyes were swelling.

I looked for my inhaler, then I puffed once. No effect. I puff a second time. None. Shoot.

I stood up, looked at the mirror, and saw that my eyes were teary. The swelling went down to the rest of my face.

I ran to the bathroom to clear my nose. I couldn’t force anything out. I try again. Nothing.

“Okay,” I thought, “I’m having an allergic reaction.” And a damn one at that! So I popped the anti-allergy medicine my dad gave me and waited for it to take effect.

The next hour I was trying to keep breathing. I was a bit dizzy, but it wasn’t anything serious. I was trying to recall what I had for dinner. Then it hit me. I’m never ordering fish from that restaurant again. I had fish with tausi in Chowabungga, and I guess my body didn’t really take it. It tasted okay; a bit sour, but okay. Maybe the sourness was a bad thing.

It’s 2am. I think the medicine is taking effect: I can breathe better now, my nose is a bit clear, my eyes don’t feel swollen, and the medicine is making me drowsy.. Thank God! Good night!